Financial News

Good news for Royal Caribbean stock holders as the company's stock will join the ranks of the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500, effective after the close of trading on Thursday, December 4, 2014.

Royal Caribbean replaced Bemis Company Inc on the listing.

The S&P 500 is one of the major stock indices traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is considered one of the top resources used to judge United States market performance. It is a stock market index that seeks to represent the whole stock market. It tracks the 500 most widely held stocks on the New York Stock Exchange.

To be included in the S&P 500, a company must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be a U.S. company.

Have a market cap of at least $4 billion.

At least 50% of its stock must be held by the public.

Four consecutive quarters of positive earnings.

A stock price of at least $1 per share.

Contribute to the overall balance of sectors within the S&P 500, to help it represent the overall market sector make-up.

Royal Caribbean has finalizes the price that it will repurchase 3.5 million shares of stock that are held by Awilhelmsen AS (Awilhelmsen). Awilhelmsen is a privately owned investment company that was one of three founders of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in 1968.

The repurchase price per share will be $67.45, which is equal to the price paid by a financial institution to Awilhelmsen in connection with its sale of 3.5 million shares conducted yesterday November 3, 2014 pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act. The repurchase is expected to close on November 6, 2014.

The last reported sale price of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL) common stock on November 3, 2014 was $68.40 per share.

Royal Caribbean reported today earnings of $490.2 million in its third quarter.

On a per-share basis, Royal Caribbean had net income of $2.19. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and restructuring costs, came to $2.20 per share.

The company's third quarter results beat Wall Street expectations for income. It did, however, post revenue fo $2.39 billion for the period, which missed analysts forecasts of $2.4 billion.

Its fourth quarter forecast was reduced a bit, with fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 35 to 40 cents, below analyst projections of 48 cents.

For its 2015 outlook, ROyal Caribbean is experiencing strong early booking trends for 2015. Booked load factors and APDs are higher than same time last year and the booking window has extended. Europe sailings are off to a particularly good start, with strong booking trends from North America and from Europe. Caribbean pricing pressure continues through the first quarter, but the company expects that to improve thereafter.

Royal Caribbean is optimistic that 2015 will be the sixth consecutive year for yield growth. The company has sufficient visibility into 2015 to say that it is comfortable with the Street consensus of $4.55 per share. That would represent more than a 30% increase over this year's record profitability.

Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on October 23, 2014 at 10am to discuss its third quarter 2014 financial results.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number.

A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

Royal Caribbean reported its 2014 second quarter financial results today, and higher European deamand helped second-quarter profit beat estimates and the company raised its outlook for the full year.

Royal Caribbean said it earned $137.7 million, or 62 cents a share, in the quarter, up from $24.7 million, or 11 cents a share, in the same period a year ago.

Royal Caribbean Chief Financial Officer Jason T. Liberty said in a statement, "higher pricing for close-in European sailings propelled us above the top end of our guidance for the quarter. While the environment in the Caribbean remains promotional, our European itineraries continue to resonate well with strong demand from all markets."

Onboard revenue initiatives continue to deliver positive results with a 3% increase for the quarter. This is the tenth consecutive quarter of onboard revenue growth.

Liberty also commented, "overall business has been solid and our equity investments continue to outperform, allowing us to deliver even better returns to our shareholders."

Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on July 24, 2014 at 10am to discuss its second quarter 2014 financial results.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

Demand for European sailings and for China sailings remained particularly strong throughout the period and double digit yield improvements are expected for both products.

"Despite pressures in the Caribbean, the diversity provided by our global footprint is proving its value. This model has allowed us to take advantage of the strong demand for our European and Asian products, while successfully navigating pressures in the Caribbean," said Jason T. Liberty, chief financial officer.

Royal Caribbean does expect things to get better as 2014 goes forward. It is expecting double-digit percentage rise in yields in European and Asia Pacific cruises this year.

Royal Caribbean said booking volumes rose about 18 percent in the past three months. Bookings jumped 20 percent in the past eight weeks.

Royal Caribbean announced that John F. Brock, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola, has been appointed to the cruise line's board of directors. The move is effective immediately.

Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain commented on Brock's arrival, "John's demonstrated leadership skills and his broad and impressive executive experience in the international beverage industry will help us to deliver long term value for shareholders. We warmly welcome him to the board."

Brock has been the chairman of Coca-Cola Enterprises since 2008 and CEO since 2006. Mr. Brock also has significant Board experience, having previously served on the boards of Dow Jones & Company, Campbell's Soup Company, InBev, Cadbury Schweppes, and Reed Elsevier.

Prior to working at Coca-Cola, Brock served as CEO of InBev, S.A., a global brewer, from 2003 to 2005 and as COO of Cadbury Schweppes plc, from 1999 to 2002.

Royal Caribbean will hold a conference call on January 27, 2014 at 10am to discuss its fourth quarter 2013 financial results.

The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations web site, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

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